Hate Rhaegar Targaryen? Here's why you're wrong.
Re: “Fuck Rhaegar Targaryen”: A lesson on how to read between the lines in fiction to learn the truth.
“I think there are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners. The architects plan everything ahead of time, like an architect building a house. They know how many rooms are going to be in the house, what kind of roof they’re going to have, where the wires are going to run, what kind of plumbing there’s going to be. They have the whole thing designed and blueprinted out before they even nail the first board up. The gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed and water it. They kind of know what seed it is, they know if planted a fantasy seed or mystery seed or whatever. But as the plant comes up and they water it, they don’t know how many branches it’s going to have, they find out as it grows. And I’m much more a gardener than an architect.”
On Elia Martell: Considering GRRM’s self-described gardening style, Dorne and its culture were almost certainly built around Elia Martell. Rhaegar’s wife was polyamorous, and the author needed a way to tell us that, thus the culture of Dorne was given this attribute.
Further, while Rhaegar crowning Lyanna queen of love and beauty is known as the moment all the smiles died - it’s emphasized that “Elia’s reaction to the event remains unknown” …Well isn’t that convenient?
On House Martell: Do even the Martells blame the Targaryens for what happened to Elia and her children? Here’s what it says in the wiki:
“During the Sack of King’s Landing, Ser Gregor Clegane raped and murdered Elia and also killed her son, Prince Aegon Targaryen. Another Lannister knight, Ser Amory Lorch killed her daughter, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. After hearing of these deaths, Oberyn attempted to raise Dorne for the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen.
Oberyn and his brother Doran worked in secret for years planning on bringing an end to the reign of King Robert I Baratheon and destroying House Lannister. Oberyn traveled to Braavos, where Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen were living with Ser Willem Darry. Oberyn and Willem signed a secret marriage pact, with the Sealord of Braavos as witness, promising Viserys the hand of Princess Arianne Martell in marriage, in return for Dorne’s help in reclaiming the Iron Throne from House Baratheon.”
If Rhaegar was solely responsible for Elia’s death, why would Oberyn work to align Dorne with the Targaryens once again, to put them back in power? Because he only wants revenge on the guilty parties: Lannister and Clegane.
On Aegon and his sister wives: Aegon had two wives. A first wife married out of duty, and a second wife married out of desire. Sound familiar? Good. It’s supposed to. GRRM uses historical parallels like this as hints all the time, and Rhaegar’s obsession with the three heads of the dragon and naming his children after these historical relatives is a way to link them in our minds.
The fact that Rhaegar likely believed he needed three children to fulfill a prophecy - Aegon, Rhaenys and presumably Visenya… is also a hint that Elia, who could not bear him a third child, might’ve even encouraged Rhaegar to take another wife.
Sound absurd? Rhaegar tells his wife, as she holds his newborn son, that there must be one more, as is seen in Daenerys’ vision in the House of the Undying:
“There must be one more. The dragon has three heads.”
“History is written by the victors.”
On Robert Baratheon: Virtually everyone had a good opinion of Rhaegar expect for Robert Baratheon. The victor. This man harbored a negative opinion of the prince based on jealousy and a personal vendetta.
“You never knew Lyanna as I did, Robert. You saw her beauty, but not the iron underneath.”
Think Lyanna is just some silly trollop? Try again. The woman who would run away with an already-married man had this to say about Robert:
“Robert will never keep to one bed. I hear he has gotten a child on some girl in the Vale. Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man’s nature.”
Again, Rhaegar and Robert seem to be complete opposites in every way. So if Robert is the type to whore around on his wife, perhaps that’s yet another hint that Rhaegar didn’t, wouldn’t, and wasn’t. Rhaegar’s reputation as a villain stems from this man alone, Robert Baratheon, who was not a good person.
Even on the show, Bran confirms that the Rebellion was built on a lie - so, why do so many opt to believe Robert Baratheon, a terrible king, husband, father and person - over three of the noblest men in the series - Barristan Selmy, Ned Stark, and Arthur Dayne?
On Rhaegar Targaryen: Arthur Dayne, one of the most chivalrous and noble knights, was Rhaegar’s oldest friend.
Ned Stark never once has a negative thought about Rhaegar, even letting us know that he didn’t think Rhaegar the type of man to cheat on his wife:
“For the first time in years, he found himself remembering Rhaegar Targaryen. He wondered if Rhaegar had frequented brothels; somehow he thought not.”
Even Jorah understands who Rhaegar was, time and again telling Daenerys how different her brother Viserys is to Rhaegar, that Rhaegar was the last dragon and Viserys is “less than the shadow of a snake”. (…and I really should not have to recount why Viserys is a terrible person. That shit ain’t subtle at all.)
When Daenerys saves the life of a lamb girl, she says:
“I will not have her harmed. I claim her. Do as I command you, or Khal Drogo will know the reason why.”
She and Jorah then have this exchange:
“You are your brother’s sister, in truth.”
“Viserys?”
“No. Rhaegar.”
Lastly, Barristan Selmy, who watched Rhaegar grow up, has this to say:
“Even as a child, your brother Viserys oft seemed to be his father’s son, in ways that Rhaegar never did.”
So we’ve got two people now, telling us Rhaegar and Viserys were different. Viserys is directly compared to Aerys, whereas Daenerys is compared to Rhaegar after she saves someone’s life and helps them.
When Daenerys asks Barristan whether there was any good to be said of her father, he replies:
“There is, your Grace. Of him, and those who came before him. Your grandfather Jaehaerys and his brother, their father Aegon, your mother… and Rhaegar. Him most of all.”
Barristan also confirms Rhaegar’s feelings toward Elia:
“Princess Elia was a good woman, Your Grace. She was kind and clever, with a gentle heart and a sweet wit. I know the prince was very fond of her.”
On the show, Barristan tells Daenerys of Rhaegar’s character. Confirming that Rhaegar found joy in singing, not killing. Recounting tales about how Rhaegar would sing to the common folk, giving his money away to them, to orphanages, or taking his lifelong friend and guard out for drinks.
On who is actually to blame for Elia’s death:
Aerys Targaryen, Tywin Lannister & Gregor Clegane (Duh)
It’s not Rhaegar’s fault for neglecting to assume a lifelong House Targaryen ally would betray him and his family. If you think this, you are victim blaming.
(Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially responsible for the harm that befell them.)
Tywin waited until he knew which side would win the Rebellion before picking either. Fuck, Tywin wasn’t even certain he’d betray the Targaryens!
Was Rhaegar aware of all the ways his father offended Tywin Lannister? Oh, absolutely. Which is part of the reason he was almost certainly conspiring to de-throne his father, for offending the entire damned realm left and right!
“When this battle’s done I mean to call a council. Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago, but… well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken.”
Jaime tells us that it was not Rhaegar who forbade Elia’s escape, but Aerys:
“Rhaegar met Robert on the Trident, and you know what happened there. When the word reached court, Aerys packed the queen off to Dragonstone with Prince Viserys. Princess Elia would have gone as well, but he forbade it. Somehow he had gotten it in his head that Prince Lewyn must have betrayed Rhaegar on the Trident, but he thought he could keep Dorne loyal so long as he kept Elia and Aegon by his side.”
Jaime feels immense guilt that lingers for not protecting Rhaegar’s family. He blames himself, not the prince, even defending himself to the ghost of Rhaegar, who tells him:
“I left my wife and children in your hands.”
“I never thought he’d hurt them. I was with the king…”
Even Jaime Lannister never thought the children would be hurt. Tywin’s fucking son. You’d have to be pretty daft, at this point, if you think Rhaegar is the one responsible for the murder of his children. Further, note that Jaime’s internal characterization of Rhaegar cares about his wife, Elia, and their children.
On Jon Snow: Love Jon Snow but hate Rhaegar Targaryen? Too bad. Boy was written to be just like his daddy, and no, I don’t mean Ned.
Like his father, he was “born in grief” and is described as sullen, and his father, melancholy. They’ve got similar lean builds, dark-hued eyes, both observant and good fighters, described as noble, honorable and good (and ‘comely’). Even the way Jon died echoes Rhaegar’s death:
“Jon fell to his knees. In the cold night air the wound was smoking. ‘Ghost,’ he whispered.”
“Rubies flew like drops of blood from the chest of a dying prince, and he sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman’s name…”
Lastly, in the show, when Jon meets Daenerys, she says, “We all enjoy what we’re good at” and Jon replies, “I don’t.”
Just like Rhaegar. Because, after all, Barristan told Daenerys that Rhaegar “never liked killing”. Jon Snow is his father’s son.
To any Rhaegar Targaryen haters out there who managed to pick up on literally zero of the above clues - You badly need to work on your deductive reasoning skills.
Also, please never write a book.
